2018 Christmas Bird Count Results

With just a few anticipated reports missing (mostly feeder watch), here are the preliminary results for the 48th consecutive Moscow-Pullman CBC. Observers reported 66 species, 2 species fewer than our rolling 5-year average. Two new species were added: Harris’s Sparrow and Say’s Phoebe.

It appears we will set new count records for Red-tailed “Harlan’s” Hawk, Belted Kingfisher, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Lesser Goldfinch, and Yellow-rumped “Audubon’s” Warbler. We added Yellow-rumped “Myrtle” Warbler (seen in ID and WA). It also appears we will tie record counts for Pileated Woodpecker, Spotted Towhee, and Brown-headed Cowbird; this is the first cowbird report since 1984.

Other rarer species seen included Golden Eagle, Northern Goshawk, and Prairie Falcon (Count Week).

Notable was the absence of Bohemian Waxwings (zero, zilch, nada); it’s been 16 years since we recorded no bohemians. Of the other species usually seen on the count, we also missed Green-winged Teal, Wilson’s Snipe, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, and Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch.